Lush Festival 2019: Wheatus and first batch of local acts confirmed

Lush Festival 2019 is happening near Clarens in the Free State from the 18th to the 21st of April. The festival has a new home and American Rock band Wheatus has been confirmed.

Life is all about experiences. Savouring beauty. Finding hidden treasures. Creating memories with family and friends. This year’s Lush Festival showcases some of the most amazing experiences imaginable that will leave your soul spellbound.

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These structures will ensure that the site functions well for many years to come, where our and your memories continue to grow. Clarens is a really beautiful area and a favoured holiday destination for people from Gauteng and we wanted to help show off this gem of the Free State.

We were determined to make sure the festival continued in the best possible way, so we also needed to listen to our audience who loved the area.

With that in mind, we needed to change certain things and in the end it was inevitable that we had to move farms but stay in the area.

This happened primarily because of two key issues: Firstly, we found that as the festival grew we had to move people further away from their cars, which lead to far distances to walk and meant carrying their bags and tents. We now have a different layout where there is enough space to camp with your car and access to the festival is closer for everyone.

Secondly, we are on top of a hill now and not in a valley anymore, so this means we have a different soil make up and there will be no clay on the actual site, and that will drastically help with the water and drainage on site.

I, together with Danie and his wife Mirikie – the owners of the farm, look forward to hosting you at our new home.”

Noah’s Cheese, nestled in the shadows of Sandstone mountains in Clarens, gives LUSH a beautiful new home and scenic experience

The farm also provides a much bigger space for campers. Campers will be able to park their cars next to their tents. The organisers are also building a permanent structure on the grounds with warm shower units for all campers.

For those who have camper vans instead of tents, the space is there for you to join. There are tented sites, glam camping and dedicated electric points as different alternatives for individuals to select, making the experiences more varied.

Because it’s a 3-day festival, organisers have ensured there’s ample accommodation for festival goers who can make use of the onsite camping and the town of Clarens, which has self-catering hotels, B&Bs, backpackers, lodges, and guest houses.

There are also a variety of guest farms and country inns available in and around, as well as the Clarens Xtreme Ox wagon’s at Linwood, Linwood B&B and offsite camping at Golden Gate Parks board and Bokpoort.

The ‘tented hotels’ on-site are also supplied by Under Cover Canvas. Each tent is equipped with beds, power points for charging phones. This also includes private showers and breakfast. By having these different facilities, festival goers can choose where to stay depending on their specific needs.

The live performance line-up for this year’s LUSH Festival is a stellar one

Wheatus (USA), Youngr, Kim Churchill (Australia) and Juzzie Smith (Australia) have been confirmed as the international live acts.

The local line-up includes Spoegwolf, Jeremy Loops, Goodluck, Jo Black, TiMO ODV, PHFAT, Shortstraw, Refentse, Desmond & The Tutus, The World Of Birds, Hellcats, Cockles., The Tazers and Gunshot Blue. More local artists will be announced soon.

More info about Wheatus

They’re one of those rock acts with classic anthemic hits that have stood the test of time. Their debut single, “Teenage Dirtbag” was released in 2000.

“Teenage Dirtbag” has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and come 2020, they’ll release a new and expanded edition of that album. Wheatus’ vast SA fanbase will be excited to see them take over main stage at Lush Festival 2019.

If you’re in KwaZulu-Natal and you can’t make it to Lush, take note that Wheatus will also be playing at Splashy Fen 2019.

More info about Youngr

Since breaking through with his self-released debut single ‘Out Of My System’, the multi-talented musician has racked up over 34 million streams on Spotify. He’s also racked up 26 million views on Facebook and 4 million views on YouTube. Youngr has sold-out tours across Europe and North America.

His phenomenal live show has travelled to over 50 festivals including SXSW, Latitude, Ultra Music Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival and The Meadows Music & Arts Festival.

Youngr initially begun to make a name for himself with his unique and remarkable one-take live videos and dancefloor friendly bootlegs. His take on ‘Sweet Disposition’ by Temper Trap went viral and racked up over 15 million views in the first two weeks.

More info about Kim Churchill

This Australian folk, rock, singer-songwriterjoins the line-up with his much-anticipated live performance. He’s played at Glastonbury, Montreux Jazz festival and the East Coast Blues And Roots Festival.

He has had a number of songs charting on the world renowned Triple J radio station that has built his global profile. Fans can look forward to hearing tracks such as ‘Window To The Sky’ and ‘Second Hand Car’ performed live at the festival.

Other activities at Lush Festival 2019

For those who love a challenge, there is the usual trail run options on site, as well as all the activities set in and around the town including MTB trails that rest against a breath-taking backdrop, guided tours, White Water Rafting, abseiling, and horseback riding along the majestic countryside.

The White Water Rafting at the Clarens rapids on the Ash River, just outside Clarens, is fed by the Trans Caledon Transfer Tunnel, which pumps water from the Katze Dam high up in the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho. The crystal clear water flows down the Ash River all the way to the Vaal Dam creating the perfect playground for rafting enthusiasts.

Lush promises to be the festival where memories will be made with a fun escape for locals and international visitors alike. Let’s make memories.

Need to break away from the big city? Get your tickets to Lush Festival 2019 HERE. Please note that No Under 18s may camp on site. Under 18s are welcome to attend daily with parents / responsible adults, but not allowed to camp.

Watch this space for updates in the Music category on Running Wolf’s Rant.